Management of adjuvant settings for Stage III melanoma patients in France prior to checkpoint inhibitors: epidemiological data from the RIC-Mel database.

BACKGROUND

Targeted therapies such as BRAF and MEK inhibitors and immunotherapies have been made available to treat melanoma.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of the management of the French Stage III melanoma population after complete lymph node resection prior to new adjuvant therapies.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

A subgroup data analysis.

RESULTS

Data from 1,835 patients were analysed (15.58% Stage IIIA, 39.24% Stage IIIB, 43.92% Stage IIIC and 1.25% Stage IIID). Superficial spreading melanoma was the most frequent (70.98% in Stage IIIA for whom mutation analysis was performed; BRAF mutation was identified in up to 62% Stage IIIA patients). Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 88.46% of Stage IIIA patients, 42.36% of Stage IIIB, 53.97% of Stage IIIC and 34.78% of Stage IIID. Up to 80% of Stage IIIA patients had no adjuvant treatment follow-up. Ulceration (p = 0.004; RR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.4-6.3) and age at diagnosis (p = 0.0002; RR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.06) were significant predictive factors for survival. Adjuvant interferon-α was administered in up to 13.04% of Stage IIID patients.

CONCLUSION

Only a small number of Stage III melanoma patients were treated with interferon-α in adjuvant settings. New adjuvant therapies are currently having an effect on clinical practice in France, increasing survival and decreasing cost.